


Weirdo Meets Loser

by Fishfootidentity



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Backstory, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Klyntar, Pinion symbiote
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 21:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17753456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fishfootidentity/pseuds/Fishfootidentity
Summary: Origin story of how Venom met Pinion, two million years before the events of the movie. (Spoiler: he was literally thrown into her.)





	Weirdo Meets Loser

**Author's Note:**

> This could be a one-shot, or maybe I could write more tales of what they were up to in Klyntar. I have not read the comics, so my portrayal of Klyntar is based on clues I picked up from the film.
> 
> For age reference, Venom is only a few decades older than Pinion.

The symbiotes of Klyntar live long lives. They hunt, they fight, they create – and some of them _pro_ create.

Pinion is especially uninterested in that last part, even if she is old enough to.

Plenty of symbiotes are millions of years older than she. But although she is part of a younger generation, she is considered too old to keep attending the routine Tellings of Elders: speculations about other worlds filled with living creatures, about intelligent beings surviving on far-off planets.

By custom, almost no one listens to Elders’ knowledge-imbued stories after they pass a certain age; Elders are more often valued by Team Leaders and adult symbiotes for their counsel or connections. Pinion’s continued choice of attending Tellings indicates there is something wrong with her.

Not too many things set individual symbiotes apart from one another. They identify themselves by name, by allegiance to Team Leader, by their geographical place of origin, sometimes by their distinct colour. Their bodies can evolve along with their skills, growth, and maturity.

Pinion would have been above the median of Klyntar’s social hierarchy even at her age. She is physically strong and has well-practiced fighting skills. She could become a great hunter (that is, if she gave more attention to her superiors’ orders than finding ways to escape her fellow symbiotes’ reach).

It is a shame she is far more interested in stories of peace and contentment often told to younglings.

* * *

The Tellings of Elders mainly function as the way symbiote procreators and caretakers educate spawn and younglings about the universe they live in. The topics encompass physics, chemistry, biology, and more – but the knowledge is often imparted in images and senses so the young symbiotes will know what to expect in the future.

Almost every symbiote is able to communicate by generating sound, but all of them have the ability to access each other’s minds so long as there is physical contact between them.

Some Elders choose to impart Tellings with their voices, but Elder Laterite is one of many symbiotes who much prefer the mental link. Pinion is short, but she found a spot where she can touch the wise Elder without coming into contact with the younglings near her.

“Oxygen is poisonous to us. Now, not many planets have this gas in abundance. However, if you find yourself on one –” Elder Laterite speaks in the last story for this current period, but Pinion’s mind and two others already offered up answers through the shared mental link.

Pinion kept quiet and let the younglings be heard first.

“I would not have gone on that planet in the first place.”

“The safe thing to do is to jump into a non-gaseous element, like hydrogen dioxide.”

Bemusement wafted from the Elder’s consciousness.

“Now, Keratin, one does not become a good scout or hunter by limiting one’s imagination. A little danger will always be present at any point of our lives. Of course, seeking out too much danger will be foolhardy. As Gills mentioned, one way to survive in an oxygen-rich environment would be to stay near it, but not inside it.”

Elder Laterite paused and turned their attention to Pinion.

“Still – if you aim to more than just survive, maybe even thrive – your oldest classmate knows what to do.”

The pastel-purple symbiote no longer took offence at that epithet. It is a fact of who she is.

“Find an oxygen-breathing organism and make it a host. It’s what we do with any organism that lives in an environment friendly to them and hostile to us,” Pinion said.

“Of course _you_ would want to ‘thrive’ in a poisonous environment,” a youngling named Tremor told her.

Everyone sensed a gentle affirmation from Elder Laterite.

“She has the drive and tenacity to do so. Reminds me of Phalanx when she was younger.”

The name of Team Leader Phalanx gave every youngling pause – admiration and esteem can be felt all around, but Pinion shielded her mind from further contact.

At almost eight million years old, Team Leader Phalanx is widely feared and even more loved by the symbiotes whose territories she governs. Her hunting exploits and tales have been recounted long after her exploratory millennia are over. She has spawned nearly a hundred symbiotes (including Gills), and yet she remains one of the most considerate and responsible Team Leaders on Klyntar. The cerulean and white-gold symbiote is a community organiser who listens to her fellow symbiotes, and her intricate plans allowed her people to flourish.

Pinion did not want Elder Laterite and the younglings to know she has no interest whatsoever in achieving any level of greatness Phalanx did (and still does).

When she returns into the connection, Elder Laterite finishes their Telling session with encouraging words for younglings to not be afraid of strange surroundings, for what they find there might be great enough to make risky moves worth taking.

Pinion lingered while the symbiote younglings shuffled out of Elder Laterite’s crater. The metal-stained clay-red symbiote, aged close to twelve million years, approached Pinion and initiated a mental link.

“If you want to hear more stories about winged creatures, I suggest you go and visit Elder Jacana,” they told her.

“I think she’s tired of seeing me already. Besides, she keeps recommending me Team Leaders to procreate with.”

Pinion could not hide her feelings of disgust, but Elder Laterite understands she is not ready to become a brood parent.

“I just wanted to ask, since most winged creatures like birds and bats live in oxygenated environments – do you know which one would be the best host?” she wondered.

“We are symbiotes, Pinion. Any living, breathing creature can be our host. But I understand if you are particular about your host’s compatibility,” the Elder said.

She gave an affirmative sense. “How do I find the most compatible host?”

“It’s simple: trust your Hunger.”

The Hunger… the internal symbiote instinct or survival sense, described differently by various Elders and Team Leaders. It is said to work at a level deeper and stronger than intelligence. There are many knowledgeable and creative symbiotes on Klyntar, but the most contented ones are those who follow their Hunger.

If Pinion’s Hunger could take her places, she would be somewhere far from Klyntar right now. Right now, the deep-seated symbiote sense has not flared up near anything supposedly significant or noteworthy.

She did not find more use of that knowledge than she already did, but Elder Laterite has more than tolerated her presence all these millennia. She would not say they are fond of her, but they did not see her in the same demeaning way as most other symbiote Elders.

“You know, Pinion, I sincerely believe you’ll make a good educator one day,” Elder Laterite stated.

“I doubt that. Hard to be listened to when you don’t listen to anyone,” Pinion remarked.

“You listen to the Tellings of Elders.”

Elder Laterite sure knows how to silence younger symbiotes without using his voice.

Pinion felt that she would leave the planet or die long before she is old enough to become an Elder herself. Even if she did, she doubted anyone would listen to her ideas.

She is, after all, not a valuable member of any community.

“I just want to spend my life learning and knowing things, without having to socialise or interact with fellow symbiotes. They’re only ever interested in fighting and hunting,” Pinion said.

“I understand how you feel. You’re still quite young, Pinion. I don’t agree with many of your personal choices, but I won’t get in your way either. Who knows – maybe you’ll gather more knowledge than I ever will. On this planet, or elsewhere.”

* * *

Pinion thanked Elder Laterite again for their time and left the crater.

Her own dwelling is not too far away, but still not very close. The distance and uneven terrain do not bother her as much as the prospect of encountering a Team Leader or any of their sycophantic lackeys. Most symbiotes in her local and surrounding territories know about the pastel purple ruffian who seems to be wasting her life listening to stories. As if their petty war games are not an even bigger waste of time and energy.

Phalanx, for one, has much better things to worry about than recruitment. Still, her underling Spiral often came up to Pinion, inviting her to join a hunting party or a regiment to go against Riot: a Team Leader who holds key fertile territories near her crater’s zone.

While moving at a brisk pace, Pinion clenched her jaw not only at the notion of pointless team rivalries, but also the memory of Elder Jacana offering to introduce her to Riot. No, Pinion will _not_ become a parent of any sort anytime soon.

Lost in thought, she failed to notice the black mass lurching towards her.

The impact took her by surprise. Her symbiotic matter became entangled with what turns out to be the figure of a black symbiote. As she separated herself from the unfortunate stranger, she could feel traces of sadness, pain, and fear on the surface of their thoughts.

“Sorry, we didn’t see you there!”

Pinion righted herself and turned to the source of that voice. A striking-green symbiote led two friends – one pale beige, the other cyan lined with bronze – toward her.

“We were just having fun with our little pal Venom here. You look like you could give him a good kick, too,” the green symbiote spoke.

“Yeah. Consider this our apology for knocking you down,” the cyan-and-bronze symbiote added.

Pinion glanced over at the black symbiote on the ground, the one they call Venom. The green one called him ‘little’, but Pinion would say he easily outweighs her. And yet, sensing her eyes upon him, Venom curled up… he is expecting pain, so he protects himself in advance.

She guarded her non-verbal expression, but her voice has an edge to it when she turned back and spoke to the three symbiotes: “How old are you?”

The cyan-and-bronze symbiote paused. “4.1 million years, maybe?”

The beige symbiote moved forward and stood right in front of Pinion, their figure towering over hers.

“What’s it to you? Come on, let’s get on with beating up that loser.”

The tone in the beige symbiote’s retort set Pinion off.

One of her purple limbs shot out to push Beige away. They barely staggered back from her puny shove.

Indignant at Pinion’s rude defiance, Beige moved to strike her.

Too slow. One purple limb parried the strike while another slammed into Beige’s midsection. In her ignorant opponent’s pause, Pinion planted herself on the ground and, with all her strength, hurled them to her left.

“Look out!” Venom warned – not that he needed to.

Green is advancing to tackle her.

Pinion checked and found that Venom is already outside the trajectory, so she allowed Green to lift her off the ground. They soon moved to slam her downward.

Pinion’s body rolled with the motion, and she turned the momentum against the attacker. Now on top, she formed the ends of her forelimbs into claws and slashed into Green, who bellowed in pain.

She felt a pair of limbs strangle her from behind – that was Cyan-Bronze, the true coward.

She kicked Green aside, weighing a total of two symbiotes now. She channelled her mass to her upper limbs, forming them into wings that she flapped wildly. It is enough to confuse Cyan-Bronze into a state of panic.

Their hold weakened. Pinion redirected her mass to her lower limbs and, now with legs shaped like those of a giant moa, rooted one clawed foot to the ground. She used the other to stomp Cyan-Bronze sideways.

The strike shot the symbiote farther than Pinion was able to throw Beige.

Speaking of whom, she could smell the fury on that symbiote approaching her. Pinion conserved the reach of her mass, making her figure a small target. She hopped from spot to spot, baiting Beige and leading them to chase her.

It’s quite amazing how easy it is to fight people who have not studied almost-basic combat techniques. They don’t even hide their feelings, and that makes them highly predictable.

Beige roared into the sky and charged at Pinion from a distance. When they hurtle towards her as a hardened, solid mass, she casually sidestepped and landed a deep dagger-talon gash without having to expend much of her own energy.

Pinion took stock of her surroundings. Green, Cyan-Bronze and Beige are now scattered in three separate spots; the first writhed in pain while the latter two temporarily gave up on moving.

She checked on Venom. He is upright now, but his eyes are not the only ones to have watched the spectacle. Symbiote younglings, a few Elders (oh no, is that Jacana?) and adults of varying ages have clamoured to watch the fight unfold. She spotted lackeys turning around and slinking away, probably off to report to their Team Leader what they just saw happen.

She shook off the last dregs of adrenaline from the fight and resumed her stroll homeward at a faster pace. She did not fear retribution from the three foolish symbiotes’ teams as much as she dreads recruitment and courtship.

One symbiote seems to have followed her over the last hill to her crater. Before she came close to her dwelling, she whirled around to face them.

It was Venom.

“You are Pinion?” he asked. He must have sensed her identity when he was hurled into her.

“What do you need?” she demanded.

“I want to thank you… for thrashing my tormentors,” he said, his tone sincere.

Part of her feels mollified, but it was hard to stop being so defensive.

“They made me angry – that’s why I beat them up,” Pinion said lightly.

Venom tilted his head. “But you’re not angry at me,” he stated.

“It’s not your fault they threw you into me. Besides, those bullies are old enough to know not to play in traffic,” she replied.

When she tried to take another step, Venom moved as if to follow her. Oh no.

Or, wait. She could try something.

“Aren’t _you_ angry at them for constantly hurting you?” Pinion pointed out.

This time Venom hesitated. “Yes,” he answered.

“Then why didn’t you fight back? At least stand up for yourself.”

The taller symbiote slumped.

“Elders and Team Leaders – they always said this is normal. The strong playing with or using the weak is just how things are, and fighting this fact would be a waste of energy,” he spoke.

Pinion turn to face Venom fully. “Lies and nonsense,” she proclaimed.

He made a questioning noise.

She explained further: “Our reality does not always have to be painful. You have a life, and you have abilities. Use them to find what you want, wherever and whatever it is. You can change things. I know I try.”

“Are you quoting a Telling by Elder Hexaglass?” Venom said softly.

Her forelimbs bristled a little.

“What if I am? So some Tellings of Elders are right and some are wrong, but that doesn’t mean the Tellings are only for younglings to heed. More Team Leaders could do better by reading into Tellings more deeply.”

Venom gazed at Pinion without speaking, perhaps studying her. After a while, he said: “You are odd, Pinion.”

Ordinarily, that remark would have sent her storming off, trying to ignore whomever spoke it, as well as the world that surrounds her. But Pinion has seen what kind of world surrounds Venom. Despite her strong preference for solitude, she does not cherish the idea of Venom facing his cruel world alone.

So she formed herself into an eagle and delivered two friendly wing-taps to Venom’s side. “That’s who I am,” she said to him.

Pinion resumed making her way home. A backward glance tells her he is not following – just watching, still bewildered, she supposed.

She honestly does not mind meeting Venom again. Finally there might be a symbiote her age who takes her seriously, for who she is: a listener and reader of Tellings. Besides, he could use a friend.

If it means she gets into fights and gets noticed by Team Leaders, so be it.


End file.
